塌 meaning and stroke order
To collapse; to droop; to settle down
How to write 塌, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 塌
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to collapse
- to droop
- to settle down
How 塌 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Earth.
土 gives the meaning.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 塌
塌 has the earth radical 土 on the left, which points to its meaning of earth and buildings falling down. Picture the sun 日 and a pair of wings 羽 sinking down onto the ground 土 as everything collapses.
塌 (tā) describes things caving in or sinking, like walls, roofs, bridges, or the ground. It often appears in compounds such as 倒塌 (dǎotā) and 塌陷 (tāxiàn). Example: 地震后，房子塌了。(Dìzhèn hòu, fángzi tā le.) After the earthquake, the house collapsed.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 塌 (tā) with 踏 (tà, to step on), which shares a similar sound but uses the foot radical 足 and a different right side. Also remember 塌 is first tone, while 踏 is fourth tone.
Common words with 塌
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一塌糊涂 | yītāhútú | muddled and completely collapsing (idiom); in an awful condition; complete shambles | HSK 7-9 |
| 倒塌 | dǎotā | to collapse (of building); to topple over | HSK 7-9 |
| 死心塌地 | sǐxīn-tādì | to be hell-bent on; dead set on sth; unswerving | HSK 7-9 |
| 崩塌 | bēngtā | talus slide; to crumble (of scree slope) | |
| 坍塌 | tāntā | to collapse | |
| 塌陷 | tāxiàn | to subside; to sink |
塌 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 塌
How many strokes are in 塌?
塌 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 塌 mean?
塌 (tā) means to collapse; to droop; to settle down. A common word with it is 一塌糊涂 (yītāhútú), meaning "muddled and completely collapsing (idiom); in an awful condition; complete shambles".
How do you pronounce 塌?
塌 is pronounced tā, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 塌?
The radical of 塌 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 塌 under this radical.
Is 塌 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 塌 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 一塌糊涂 mean and when do people use it?
一塌糊涂 (yītāhútú) means a complete mess or an awful state. It is very common in speech, for example 房间乱得一塌糊涂 (fángjiān luàn de yītāhútú), the room is a total mess. It can also describe doing something extremely badly.
Can 塌 be used for things other than buildings?
Yes. It can mean to droop or sink, as in 塌鼻子 (tā bízi), a flat nose. It also appears in 死心塌地 (sǐxīn-tādì), where it suggests settling down firmly, meaning being completely devoted or dead set on something.